Chair Friedman called attention to the announcement regarding the upcoming Faculty Council election and asked everyone to vote and to encourage colleagues to vote. The on-line election will be for college/school representatives on the Faculty Council and will be held from March 26 through April 6.

X.

QUESTIONS TO THE CHAIR.

Professor Edmund (Ted) Gordon (African and African diaspora studies) asked if the Council had voted on all the committee nominations. When Chair Friedman responded that was his intent and what he meant by implied consent, Professor Gordon replied, “I see.” When Chair Friedman asked it his procedure had been acceptable to everyone, there were no further comments.

Professor Jacqueline Angel (public affairs) asked when the policy guidelines and procedures regarding faculty accountability would be available to provide guidance to the faculty. Chair Friedman asked if Provost Leslie would like to answer the question. Provost Leslie said his office just recently started the process of looking at the draft Chair Friedman had sent him, which he had read over Spring Break. The provost indicated there were a few issues that still needed to be discussed, but that he thought the legislation was in “good shape” and could progress, assuming the issues about which he had concerns could be mutually resolved. When Professor Angel asked if the new procedures would go into effect this coming September, the provost replied, “I think that’s right;” Chair Friedman concurred. When Chair Friedman asked the provost if there was an estimated time of arrival, the provost replied, “soon as possible.” Chair Friedman said he hoped progress could be made when he met with the provost on Wednesday following the Council meeting. He added that he wanted the policy to be as faculty-friendly and as institutional-serving as possible. Professor Martha Hilley (music) said she thought there was concern that work on policies and procedures sometimes gets done in the summer when faculty members may not be easily convened to review the document. She said she wanted to know if the policy would be available before the last Council meeting in May. Chair Friedman said he would make a draft available for everyone at the next Faculty Council meeting. Past Chair Dean Neikirk (electrical and computer engineering) said he thought a vote of the Faculty Council would be required, given that it involved modification to the Handbook of Operating Procedures, and Vice President Patricia Ohlendorf (legal affairs) agreed that a vote would be required. Past Chair Neikirk said that if the legislation did not get completed by the May meeting, then it would have to be held over until fall. Chair Friedman said that was a good reminder, and therefore, he would have the document ready for discussion at the April Faculty Council meeting, to which Provost Leslie agreed.

Professor Benjamin Carrington (sociology) asked about the athletics councils’ structure and composition, saying he did not fully understand why the Faculty Council made nominations but the president got to choose the members. As a result, he was wondering if the faculty had any direct oversight of athletics and why the Faculty Council could not just choose who was to serve on the athletics councils. Chair Friedman said the origins of the system, under which we operate, had been “lost in the mists of time.” The issues were not new ones, and the Faculty Council was, to a certain extent, dealing with inherited practice. In addition, Chair Friedman pointed out that the athletics councils are not Faculty Council committees. The committees with which the Faculty Council interfaces are the General Faculty Standing Committees, which report to both the administration and to the Faculty Council under the governance system that was adopted about fifteen years ago. Chair Elect Ortiz added that the Faculty Council is a larger body that is diverse in its representation; therefore, in some cases, the Faculty Council nominates candidates, but the president names the actual faculty representatives. She said that the Faculty Council reports to the president, and the committees have the responsibility to report their activities and recommendation to the Faculty Council, such as is done by the Student Life and Activities Committee with regard to the status of athletics.

There were no further questions, so the chair called for a motion to adjourn, which passed unanimously by voice vote.